Monday, November 25, 2013

Sooooo transfers came in on Saturday and I have a new area! 3 areas 3 transfers I'm in Barrio 3 in Madrid.

Saying bye to Elder Gillam

Elder Malan and Me

Us- goofing off

Just got off the train and it is super nice here! We're in the south west part of Madrid. I'm with Elder Tanner. He is from Las Vegas and has been out a little more than 6 months. I'm excited for this transfer. It is an area that has been here for a while so it will be different then starting up.

So this week: Last Monday we were in Madrid and got back with only a little time for emails so it was short, I will expound more today.

On Monday, we taught Juan. He is doing well. He read way more then we asked him which is amazing because he is so busy! He would be progressing but hasn't come to church yet. We taught about baptism and the spirit just going through 3 nephi 11 with him. The spirit was super strong during the lesson and he knew he was feeling it. He is also still praying very sincerely.

We met with Juan Carlos on Tuesday and started to teach and he told us that he didn't want to hear anything more. He said he was happy and didn't need a better life. It was just super sad to have him say that because he doesn't have a happy life. He's trapped with cigaretes and video games. but we had to stop meeting with him.

We also worked more with one of our members that night. She has a friend that she is sharing the gospel with. She gave the friend a Book of Mormon and is working with him to meet with us.

Here's my Fuenlabrada picture

Then Wednesday, I got to go on another companion exchange. We went to Fuenlabrada, pretty cool city but not as clean as Mostoles. I have a funny picture to show. Also found a snuggie. have a picture of that too. but we worked with some of the less actives that day and did some contacting. very good day.

The Snuggy!

We also went to the temple and were surprised with the new video! We were told to watch in English too. Very powerful and different. Then we spent 30 minutes just talking about gospel doctrine in the Celestial room which was very nice.

Friday, we got a new investigator named Luis. We had met him a couple weeks ago and were able to meet. It was a very good first lesson. Probably one of the best we have taught. We worked well together, explained our purpose right of the bat, and about baptism. He is an evangelist and so he wants a lot of Bible answers but he was very open to the Book of Mormon. It will be tough with him though to meet with him because he is only open on Fridays.

My sad tortilla de patatas

Then on Sunday we were super blessed. The less actives that we have been working with these past 6 weeks, all but one came to church! It was the first time they had been in so long but it was great to see them. I was so happy!

Well that has been my week. It was sad to say bye to Elder Gillam. He is staying in Mostoles, but he did very well training me. Have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 18, 2013

This week was warm at first but Saturday 0 degrees!!! Celcius but still really cold.

This week has been good. We're working with members a ton. We have some pretty solid ones that are working with friends and doing missionary work. No member references yet but its getting there. If things work out we should have 5! They are working super hard for us. It's awesome.

I have been trying to be more Christ like and wanted to focus on those attributes this week and it was an amazing change. One story there was a super rowdy kid on a bus and so I went over and gave her a picture of the temple

and talked to her and it was super spiritual and the mom just kept thanking me and we almost got to meet with her but she had to get off the bus but still one of my favorite moments so far.

We met with Juan last week. He is working on a research project with some of the other professors and hasn't had much time to meet with us. But we met on Monday. He is doing well and wants to be baptized. We are going to explain more today and set his date and work hard towards that. We are super excited. He is one that is very solid.

We also met with Jorge and Lupe and they are ok. It feels like they are losing interest but we are still working hard with them. We will be meeting with them in 30 minutes. We are trying to get them to come to church but they just won't do it. It gets frustrating but it's their agency.

We knocked some doors since it has been super cold and found some good people. 2 Americans from Texas we were able to share a little but they kindly rejected anything more. At the end, we met Juliet. on her door it said, "With God all things are possible." and she was very interested. We are meeting again Saturday.

Very short week but still productive. We don't have much time. So I will send pictures next week. I love you all and thanks for the support. I really do love it out here and wouldn't change it for anything.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Hola Familia!This week went pretty well, we met with some good people and moved pisos!

Monday, we met with Juan. It was pretty cool cuz we taught him in his class room at the university. We taught the Plan of Salvation and he is doing very well and moving towards baptism- except for coming to church. We are meeting with him today. It will be a big focus. We are also going to set a baptismal date with him. I feel like he is willing to make the commitment. I will let you know how it goes next week.

We also met with Jorge and we invited him to be baptised and he said yes kind of, he wants to learn more and know for himself before he chooses, but ever since that day he hasn't been able to meet with us and is just not as interested. We will see how he is doing with commitments though.

We got to meet with a ton of members this week. We need to get them more involved in mission work. Some are great but others just need to be shown what to do. We are working with the Iglesias family and they are super awesome. They have 2 daughters in college and they have friends they share the gospel with. Hopefully we can find people there. We have also been doing just quick little stop bys with other members and inviting them to pray for people to find and share the gospel with.

We went and worked with a less active named Iris. She lives in a little town outside of Mostoles (there is a castle there that we may check out today depending on if it is open) but she is doing well. She has a part member family that we should be able to meet with soon.

On Thursday, the office elders came down and we signed a piso contract and got our new piso It overlooks a super sweet park

and is very nice. We had to build all this stuff for it though which was pretty annoying but it is all set up and looks good. It's kind of nice not dealing with 4 other elders in one place.

Yesterday, we were walking to an appoinment and right as we turn the street we see a car flip! It stopped on its side and never rolled but it was still bad! We and some other people had to help get them out of the car. Luckily, no one was hurt but it was still really scary for the kid inside. Once the police got there, everyone had to leave. I hope all is well with them but yeah it was crazy!

Well that was our week. This week we have a zone conference all day Friday and the other elders have a baptism Saturday. So hopefully we can get investigators there!

I got the birthday bag on Wednesday so we had a mini party.

We made a super yummy cake.

I love you all and have a great week! Feel better dad! I will send pics in a different e mail.

Monday, November 4, 2013

This week went pretty well! with all the coldness contacting is slowing down because they either aren't on the street or they don't want to stop and listen to anything. But we're still finding some people.

We met with our investigator Juan Wednesday night. He is doing very well! He loves to read! He read Joseph smith testimony, the Restoration Pamphlet, and a couple chapters of the Book of Mormon! It made me super happy to know his sincire desire. That night we focused on prayer and the blessings and answers that come from it and he will do it. We invited him to church and he really wants to go but he is sick and lives super far walking distance from the church. He also doesn't have a metro pass so we tried super hard to find a member that could pick him up in a car but it didnt happen. He has real desires.

Later that night, we went and visited a less active member, Daniel, who is really into drinking so it's a huge problem for us but he accepts the missionaries and loves to listen and talk. He is the one that lives with Juan Carlos but Juan wasn't there. We are meeting with him today. We just need to get Daniel to enjoy church again and get him involved and a solid friend in the church.

That day was Halloween and Spaniards go crazy! Their costumes are super creepy. Elder Gillam and I were in the metro and this lady dressed as like a ram demon thing comes walking in and everyone just turned with a disturbed look. Super funny. Elders Smith and Cook were coming off the metro and saw a huge group of people and they had bags over their heads and the lady in the center had like a baby coming out of her stomach. Not real of course. They said it was the freakiest thing in their lives.

We went to a pastry shop called Audry during Medio Dia for my birthday and it was super tasty!

I got some sweet soccer shoes and a Real Madrid jersey. I love it!

We are going to have a party on Wednesday because we get mail and Elder Gillam and I are moving to a new piso like right across the street. It's a brand new piso that is super nice. We have a view of a sweet park!

Yesterday, we taught a lesson to a man named Marcelo, he is from Brazil and has lived here for like 7 years. He is Evangelist so that was a fun lesson very bible based. He was asking a ton of questions that we couldn't answer because they are different then he thinks. He was asking about gifts of the spirit and expecially the gifts of tounges and yes we have that but his gift of tounges is in a different way. He absolutly did not want the Book of Mormon at first because of his church but at the end he really wanted it. You just have to help people understand and feel the spirit because if that doesn't happen they won't want anything. He said the prayer at the end and it was a very sincire prayer wanting an answer. Very good lession!

Yesterday we got fed for like the 2nd time while being in Móstoles. It was a Spanish family and they fed a HUGE pot of paella! I had like 3 plates! It was soooo good! The members serve us well they love the work happening here. The bishop called everyone out during testimony meeting. He had us stand and said we have 6 elders this is the time to help them out and was super fuerte about it! It was good though.

Oh yeah! so I went with Elder Dyer the other day and it was nice cuz he is super new and so it was a good look at training. We went to a member's house watched the Restoration and then asked if she knew people that needed this message and she gave us a reference. She didn't know how to invite her friend to meet us but we worked it out. I set up a food appointment where we just enjoy company and share some testimonies. She loved it and so we will see how it goes!

Well that was my week. Today, we are going to a pueblo that is 10 minutes away that has castles and Taco Bell!! Great day! Then tomorrow I get my residency done and we are meeting with the Bishop to see what he needs from us. Should be a great week!

Love you all and thanks for the Happy Birthdays. The Jacksons called and sang me a sweet song that night.

Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Stevenson

P.S.Our paths crossed but its ok, Love you mom! Have a great week! I'm trying to add pics to my letter but the camera is being weird. We love cooking and the elders know Wingstop, give me the spices to use!